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POLITICS

The Claim

The Shankaracharya of Sringeri Peeth refused to bless Rahul Gandhi and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during their visit to the Sringeri Math.

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The Short Version

Every credible source directly contradicts this claim. The official Sringeri Sharada Peetham website, multiple news agencies, and independent fact-checkers confirm that Rahul Gandhi and Siddaramaiah received blessings from the Shankaracharya during their March 2018 visit. The "refusal to bless" narrative was a fabricated social media story, debunked by fact-checkers who traced the viral images back to ANI's own coverage of the cordial meeting. No reputable contemporaneous outlet reported any refusal.

Caveats

  • The 'refusal to bless' narrative is a debunked social media fabrication with no credible sourcing — it was traced by fact-checkers to misrepresented ANI photos of the actual blessing event.
  • The official Sringeri Sharada Peetham website and multiple independent news outlets confirm blessings were given, and the Shankaracharya reportedly gifted Rahul Gandhi a photograph of his father Rajiv Gandhi, indicating a cordial interaction.
  • This claim has resurfaced periodically as viral misinformation; readers should verify such narratives against official institutional records and established news outlets before sharing.

The Receipts

  1. Visit of Shri Rahul Gandhi to Sringeri

    Sringeri.net

  2. Several news agencies have reported that Rahul Gandhi was given blessings by the Sringeri Mutt seer

    Factly

  3. ANI Tweet: Rahul Gandhi meets Shankaracharya of Sringeri Mutt

    ANI

  4. Rahul Gandhi visits Sringeri Mutt, receives blessings from Jagadguru

    Deccan Herald

  5. Rahul Gandhi meets Shankaracharya Bharathi Teertha Swami of Sringeri Mutt in Chikmagalur

    ANI

  6. Rahul visits Sringeri mutt; seeks blessings of Goddess, seer

    Deccan Herald

  7. Did Shankaracharya call Rahul Gandhi an anti-Hindu and refuse to bless him? Read- Fact check - DFRAC ORG

    DFRAC ORG

  8. On day 2 of Karnataka visit, Rahul Gandhi visits Sringeri temple, receives blessings

    Daijiworld

  9. Siddaramaiah Tweet on Sringeri Visit

    Siddaramaiah Twitter

  10. ಶೃಂಗೇರಿ ಸ್ವಾಮೀಜಿ ಆಶೀರ್ವಾದ ಪಡೆದ ರಾಹುಲ್, ಸಿದ್ದರಾಮಯ್ಯ - Vijaya Karnataka

    Vijaya Karnataka

+ 4 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

Rahul GandhiShankaracharya of Sringeri PeethSiddaramaiahSringeri Math

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